1. Field of the Invention
This patent relates to furniture. More particularly, this patent relates to a bed of the type that may be stored in an upright, vertical position and then pulled down to a horizontal position when needed for use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditional “Murphy” type beds that can be stored in an upright, vertical position and then pulled down to a horizontal position when needed for use are well known in the art. William Murphy began obtaining patents on his “folding bed” in the early 20th century, and the concept of a pull down bed has been evolving ever since. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,837,211 discloses a folding bed that may be folded into a closest. U.S. Pat. No. 1,876,327 discloses a folding bed that hangs on a pivoting closet door. U.S. Pat. No. 2,671,230 discloses a folding wall bed that also functions as a desk. A number of folding bed patents discloses various ways to enable the bed to be easily raised and lowered, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,147 (counterbalance springs). U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,988 (counterbalance piston), U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,185 (counterbalance spring) and U.S. Published Patent Application No. US2001/0044960 (fluid counterweights).
Many of these and other folding beds include an “above-bed” support structure that can be seen above and behind the bed when it is in the down (use) position. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pull down bed which does not have an above-bed support structure so that the bed in the down position has the look of a traditional, everday bed.
Many conventional pull down beds have an exposed metal frame when in the down position, which can be unsightly. The present invention solves that problem by providing ornamental panels that snap onto the sides and foot end of the bed frame to hide the frame and provide a look more like a traditional, everyday bed. The ornamental panels can be switched out to provide different decorative looks.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides load bearing leg panels that swing down to support the bed in its down position. The leg panels can be made from wood or covered with wood veneer to improve the appearance of the bed.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a pull down bed having a headboard that can slide forward when the bed is in the down position so that the pull down bed looks even more like a traditional, everyday bed.
Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.